DRY RIDGE, Ky. — A man was airlifted to the hospital Monday afternoon after he was shot by his daughter in Dry Ridge, Ky., according to police.

The Grant County Sheriff's Office said deputies, Kentucky State Police and Kentucky Fish and Wildlife responded to a call on Michigan Avenue after 3:45 p.m. Monday. When they arrived, they found a 67-year-old man with a gunshot wound to the chest.

The man was then flown to UC Medical Center for treatment. Police said the man is stable, but whether he still needs surgery is unclear.

The sheriff's office said they believe 49-year-old Patricia Deering, the victim's daughter, pulled the trigger. She was taken into custody and sent to the Grant County Detention Center and has been charged with one count of first-degree assault and one count of first-degree wanton endangerment.

If convicted on both charges, Deering could face up to 25 years in prison; she could be sentenced to 10 to 20 years for the assault charge and receive up to five years for the endangerment charge.

COVINGTON, Ky. — Have you ever looked at the side of a building a pictured a mural? How about some green space and benches to fill it?

You now have a chance to make that vision a reality with Covington's new competitive grant program.

"Just some little quirky thing that someone wants to do to make a difference in the community and help create that bold, vibrant, quirky sense of place that we're about in Covington," said Kyle Snyder, the project's manager.

The Quality of Place Grant Program encourages anyone in the city — be it a citizen, group or business — to offer ideas on how to creatively enhance the physical appearance of one of the business districts or nodes, build a sense of place through improvements, new works of public art or public gathering places.

"It could be a small piece of art someplace, it could be seating to activate an area, you know after BLINK we're all engaged with lighting and how lighting on the underside of a bridge or a tree could really make a big difference," Snyder said.

Spearheaded by the city's economic development team, Snyder hopes the project will not only bring creative benefits but also economic ones.

"You know, if you stop in and you buy a coffee and you walk around, you want to be engaged, and we want the city to engage people," he said. "We want people to visit, fall in love with it, move here, start a business here and just kind of help the city grow what it is and what it's going to become."

Project leaders say while demonstrated support from adjacent property owners is not necessary where people's ideas are being proposed, their buy-in will make applications more competitive.

The city has allocated $125,000 for the grant this fiscal year, and applicants can request a grant of $1,000 to $30,000.

The deadline to apply is Nov. 18 at 4 p.m. Find information on how to apply here.

Project leaders hope to introduce the new works by next summer, bringing an emboldened look to "The Cov."

"We are branding ourselves, hopefully, as the bold side of the river," Snyder said. "You cast your net and you get what you get and that's the fun of it."

COVINGTON, Ky. — A former Kenton County Detention Center deputy is accused of dealing drugs to inmates.

Curtis Malik Edwards, 26, was arrested Friday and charged with first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance with a firearm and first-degree promoting contraband.

Kenton County Commonwealth's Attorney Rob Sanders said the jail found evidence suggesting drugs were being provided to inmates by an employee. During an investigation, agents with the NKY Drug Strike Force found narcotics in Edwards' possession when he returned to work from a lunch break.

"The jail acted quickly to put a stop to it," Sanders said in a release. "The discovery luckily landed on his off day, so the agents had a couple days to investigate before the suspect returned to work. ... He was under constant surveillance when he came back to work so the agents were able to catch him in the act."

Sanders said the investigation discovered Edwards was receiving money from people outside the jail to deliver drugs to some of the inmates. Edwards allegedly used a gun to transport the drugs into the jail.

Edwards was fired upon his arrest. Sanders said more charges could be filed against Edwards and some inmates when the case is presented to the Kenton County Grand Jury.

If convicted of his current charges, Edwards could face up to 25 years in prison. He is currently being held on a $10,000 bond. His preliminary hearing is scheduled for April 12 at 1:30 p.m.

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BURLINGTON, Ky. — Hundreds of people marched through Burlington to remember a 21-year-old shot and killed in Florence.

Dan Likiko was found shot inside his vehicle along Winthrop Circle on April 22. The suspect in his murder, 38-year-old Wayne Haggard, made his first court appearance Friday morning.

Likiko's friends and family walked from the Boone County Public Library to the courthouse for Haggard's hearing, chanting "Justice for Dan" and carrying signs that said "We love you, Dan" and "Black Lives Matter."

"We are very happy to see the community come together to support Dan, who is our brother who has died for no reason," said Bob Mukeba, a friend of Likiko.

Blake Sheely/WCPO

Many of those involved in the protest were members of the Congolese community in Northern Kentucky, and the Congolese flag could be seen wrapped around the shoulders of multiple people. Likiko's family moved here from the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2015.

"This is a very hard time for us," said Didieo Diakandu, a member of the Congolese Community of Northern Kentucky. "Just a young man, 21-year-old being killed by the neighbor. We cannot live like that."

RELATED | 'He was a beautiful soul': Family remembers 21-year-old shooting victim

Initial investigation by police revealed Likiko was involved in some type of altercation with people on Wintergreen Court, which led to shots being fired. Haggard's family claims the computer technology student threatened him.

Likiko's mother was in attendance. She was visibly emotional as her son, Likiko's older brother Romuald, spoke.

"It's crazy ... I'm trying to put the pieces together over what exactly happened, but there's no explanation at all because he was not on his property," Romauld Likiko said. "He's calling it self-defense. That's not self-defense at all."

Valerie Lyons/WCPO

Judge Marcia Thomas deemed Haggard a danger to the community and set his bond at $1 million cash. His case has also been moved to a grand jury. Haggard has a preliminary hearing set for April 28.

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FLORENCE, Ky. — Hoping to enjoy a beer with friends after a hard-fought pickleball match? What if you can do both at the same place?

Another pickleball facility is coming to the Tri-State — this time with a brewery attached. The Freedom Brewing Company is partnering with The Pickleball Ranch on a new 12,000-square-foot facility that will include pickleball courts, an indoor/outdoor brewery, brew pub-style restaurant and taproom.

Located directly behind Thomas More Stadium on Freedom Way, the facility's rooftop and lower-level patios will offer views of both the stadium and the facility's six pickleball courts. The lower-level patio will also include a space for live entertainment.

"The Freedom Brewing Company and The Pickleball Ranch @FBC look to work closely with the City of Florence & the Florence Y’alls to create a true entertainment district gem and a one-of-a-kind social and lifestyle experience for fans of brewery & craft beer, baseball, pickleball, and live entertainment," Pete Robinson, managing partner at Freedom Brewing Company, said in a release.

Florence Mayor Dr. Julie Metzger Aubuchon said in a release that the city's goal has always been to turn the site of the Florence Y'alls into an entertainment district.

"The project will be an asset in our area and provide us the ability to showcase our beloved hometown, in the shadow of our famous water tower, as never before," she said. "The facility will provide something for everyone and I look forward to spending time there with my family and friends."

A groundbreaking for the facility is scheduled for May 10. The facility is expected to open in the spring of 2024.

CINCINNATI — It's Friday in late August so that means high school football is back in Ohio.

Some games are continuing as scheduled, like Lakota West at Colerain, but some teams had to cancel their games due to the pandemic.

Fenwick and Kings high schools both will not be playing in their games since they both had positive COVID-19 cases. However, the teams they were supposed to play, Edgewood and Winton Woods, will play against each other instead.

Ohio's Governor Mike DeWine gave the green light to high school football teams to play earlier in August, but he did give some restrictions in order to slow the spread of COVID-19.

One of the changes will be that game spectators will be limited to players' parents, family members or those closest to the student-athlete. Teams are also only allowed to dress 60 players. High school marching bands will also only be allowed to perform at their home games.

While football starts in Ohio, Kentucky's Board of Education is supposed to meet virtually Friday with the Kentucky High School Athletic Association's Board of Control to discuss fall sports moving forward. The current plan is for Kentucky teams to start their seasons on Sept. 11.

EDGEWOOD, Md. —

The scene investigators called a "violent gas explosion" in Edgewood, Maryland, came into focus Monday morning as cleanup efforts and the investigation began.

One person was hospitalized after a gas explosion destroyed a house Sunday night at the intersection in Edgewood, fire officials told sister station WBAL.

Investigators from the Maryland State Fire Marshal's Office wrapped up their investigation at the scene shortly after noon Monday. Investigators told WBAL this was a gas explosion and Baltimore Gas and Electric is not at fault. The area of origin was within the kitchen, where investigators are focusing on the stove.

"I saw the flames shooting over the top of the house on the corner, and the more I walked up, I realized what had happened," said Donna Dulski, a neighbor. "(It's) quite upsetting, and I would have bet my next paycheck that nobody would have made it out of that house alive."

"I was about ready to fall asleep and suddenly I heard this noise I have never heard before. I mean, it was thunderous," said Rick Dulski, a neighbor.

"It was big. It was deep. It was very scary. The lights went off immediately," said Alicia Larkins, a neighbor.

Henry Schwartzman also felt the blast. He lives next door to the home that exploded.

"It knocked me off the sofa and things started to fall down. It got black all of a sudden after the hit," he said. "I came to the door and I (saw) flames and smoke."

As he got the process started to get the damage to his home repaired, Schwartzman was thinking about his next-door neighbor who survived the blast.

"He worked for the Postal Service. He was going to retire in two months," Schwartzman said.

"We're just praying right now that he recovers from his injuries," Donna Dulski said.

"Thank God he was alive," Larkins said.

Investigators said the homeowner was pulled from the rubble in the back of the house by a good Samaritan, who also pulled a dog from the rubble. Investigators want to speak with the good Samaritan to get more details. The dog is being treated by an emergency vet and a second dog is being treated by animal control.

"It's a miracle that he survived such a violent explosion," Deputy State Fire Marshal Oliver Alkire said.

Investigators said the homeowner is in critical but stable condition at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center for treatment of upwards of third-degree burns mostly to his upper body.

ERLANGER, Ky. — When Jack Duncan called the Northern Kentucky Health Department's COVID-19 vaccine hotline, the agency told him there were no appointments available as doses continue to arrive at facilities across the region.

That didn't stop him.

After multiple phone calls around the region looking for an opening, the 80-year-old Air Force veteran called WCPO Wednesday asking if there was anything else he could do.

"You can see all my scribbling," he said, pointing to a sheet of notepaper. "These are telephone numbers that I called."

Kentucky residents 70 years and older became eligible to receive the vaccine earlier this month. Hospitals, health departments, federally qualified health centers and pharmacies are among the Northern Kentucky facilities that began receiving and administering the vaccines last month, but supply and personnel resources limit how quickly everyone who is eligible can get the injections.

The health official Duncan spoke with advised him to register online so he would be notified when more appointments became available.

But for those like Duncan who do not consider themselves computer savvy, signing up online only put another barrier between him and an already difficult-to-reach lifeline.

"I don't own a computer. I have no abilities on the computer," he told WCPO.

RESOURCES: Where to sign up for the COVID vaccine

WCPO put Duncan in contact with health care workers at HealthPoint Family Care, where, again, Duncan was told there were no available appointments.

"She just told me they were filled up now," he said. "They had no openings now, but would I be receptive to a cancellation if they had one? And I said, 'Do it.'"

The employee took his phone number and said they would call him if someone else canceled their appointment.

It didn't take long for Duncan's phone to ring. The next day, he was lining up to receive the first of two injections for the COVID-19 vaccine.

Robin Feltner with NKY Health told WCPO that Duncan's experience was "probably rare."

"There is usually no vaccine left over," Feltner said.

But Duncan said his experience tells him that persistence can pay off.

"I'm thankful, very thankful," he said. "It's amazing... Be persistent. Be very persistent."

It's that persistence, he said, that "means the difference between lying on a ventilator for two or three months and then eventually dying, or it means surviving another however many years the Good Lord says."

MILFORD, Ohio — Tom Grippa likes to say he was always meant to be a high school football coach. On Friday night, it was his time to be recognized for a special career milestone.

Grippa celebrated his 200th career win as visiting Milford defeated Edgewood 41-14 in a non-league football season opener.

"We've been consistently good wherever I've been – whether it's Elder, Fairfield, La Salle or Milford," Grippa told WCPO.

"I'm really, really proud of my Milford kids because...I took over a program that was terrible and we won right away. The kids bought in. We changed the culture, and that's not always easy to do. It took a little bit of time to change it at Fairfield and here we did it right away."

Grippa, starting his 30th year as a high school head coach, is in his fifth season leading the Milford football program. He has a 200-116 record, according to the Milford athletic department.

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Grippa is the 64th coach in state history to reach 200 wins, according to the Ohio High School Athletic Association record book.

"I'm really proud of the kids and the program," said Grippa, who spent four seasons as the Mount St. Joseph University offensive coordinator prior to Milford.

Grippa is 23-15 at Milford and has led the Eagles to three playoff appearances including the first postseason win in program history in 2017.

“We are so proud to have a legend like Coach Grippa leading our program,” Milford athletic director Aaron Zupka said. “He has led our program to unprecedented heights during his time in Milford and we couldn’t be more excited to have him earn this milestone while leading our Eagles.”

Zupka said Grippa has always connected well with the Milford teams. There are 130-plus players in the Milford program.

"He's a player's coach," Zupka said. "The kids love playing for him. He relates to those kids."

The Eagles, which led 28-7 at halftime Friday, were led by junior quarterback Austin Hardin. He was 16 of 22 passing for 293 yards and four touchdowns.

Grippa was able to celebrate the career milestone win with a banner after the game surrounded by his players. He triumphantly raised the game ball in the locker room beside the team.

"We came home and it was like we won the Super Bowl," Grippa said.

The Eagles (1-0) play host to Lakota East (0-1) Aug. 27.

When he's sick, 61-year-old Wayne Hensley puts his life in the hands of the St. Elizabeth Healthcare team in Fort Thomas, Kentucky. When he was in urgent care two months ago, he hoped everyone he was paying to treat him could prove they were fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

Now that St. Elizabeth — along with the region's five other major hospital systems — have announced they will require all staff to be inoculated against the virus, Hensley said he was shocked to hear some nurses are protesting the mandate.

"I don't know if it's a game or what," Hensley told WCPO Tuesday. "They need to get a shot."

A group of nurses has planned to protest the decision Tuesday outside the Northern Kentucky hospital's Edgewood campus. Their primary reason for resisting the vaccination, they said, is because none of the three available in the U.S. has received full approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

READ MORE: Hospitals, unions bargaining after vaccine mandate

"Why are we rushing this?" nurse Taylor Brenner said. "Why all of a sudden did every hospital in the Tri-State mandate this all in one day? It's just, it's scary."

National health officials have said they expect the FDA to give full approval status to Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine later this summer or in early fall.

Still, Hensley remains convinced health care providers should get their shot.

"Everybody else is getting it," he said.

Patty Keith of Southgate, though, said she's not so concerned if her doctor or nurse isn't vaccinated.

"It does not matter to me," she said. "I already know they're wearing masks, their gloves, everything that they're wearing, that they have to wear already to take care of patients. So, I would be OK with that."

Cincinnati resident John Wabbington agreed with Keith but said he hopes hospital staff will at least consider getting their shots.

"I would just hope the people would actually think about it, think what's good for the patients themselves," he said.

The group of nurses planned to protest from 5 to 7 p.m. Tuesday in Edgewood.

We all deserve a few days of food, fun, community celebration and fireworks after the past year of social distancing, mask-wearing and other sacrifices made for the common good due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

With that in mind, here are nine ways to celebrate the Fourth of July this weekend.

INDEPENDENCE CELEBRATION: 10 a.m.-11 p.m. Saturday. Memorial Park, 2003 Jackwoods Pkwy., Independence. Free. Who's up for fireworks, fun and festivities?! Bring your family and friends out for a day-long extravaganza in Independence. There will be a car show from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. followed by the Independence Day Parade starting at 3 p.m., a festival starting at 4 p.m. and live music at 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. Fireworks will fill the sky starting at 10 p.m. For more information visit the event Facebook page.

RED, WHITE AND BLUE ASH: 10 p.m. Sunday. Summit Park, 4335 Glendale Milford Rd., Blue Ash. Free. The Arthur Rozzi Pyrotechnics fireworks and drone will fill the sky at this year's Red, White and Blue Ash. WARM 98.5 will simulcast the fireworks show with an amazing soundtrack featuring an Independence Day theme, familiar favorites and new hits. Friendly reminder: There will be no food trucks and vendors on site this year. For more information visit the event Facebook page.

TAPS, TASTES AND TUNES FESTIVAL: 5-11 p.m. Friday; noon-11 p.m. Saturday; noon-9 p.m. Sunday. National Voice of America Museum of Broadcasting, 8070 Tylersville Rd., West Chester Township. Free. Join your neighbors for a fun-filled weekend of live music, great food, cold beverages and activities for the whole family including an extravagant 4th of July Fireworks show on Sunday night. For more information visit the event Facebook page.

JULY 4TH FIREWORKS: 6-10 p.m. Sunday. Washington Park, 1230 Elm Street, Over-the-Rhine. Free. Enjoy music from 2nd Wind Band from 6-9 p.m. and fireworks display at 9:20 p.m. Food vendors will include Quite Frankly and Chocolate Freaking Bacon. The Washington Park porch also will be open and serving beverages. For more information visit the event Facebook page.

FOURTH OF JULY PARADE AND FIREWORKS: 4-9 p.m. Sunday. Harrison Community Center, 300 George Street, Harrison. Free. Join the community of Harrison for a Fourth of July celebration for everyone. The Harrison Recreation Commission has planned an evening of fun including a parade, fireworks, live music and other entertainment. Food, drinks and adult beverages will be available for purchase. There will be free family activities including a cornhole tournament, face painting and more. www.harrisonohio.gov

FOURTH OF JULY CONCERT: 7-9 p.m. Saturday. Freedom Park, 550 Freedom Park Drive, Edgewood. Free. Derek Alan Band will be performing at Freedom Park on July 3rd for Edgewood's Fourth of July extravaganza. The concert starts at 7 p.m. at Madison Shelter. There will be food trucks available for purchase during the performance. For more information visit the event Facebook page.

LIGHT UP LIBERTY 2021: 8-10 p.m. Sunday. Princeton Pike Church of God, 6101 Princeton Glendale Road, Hamilton. Free. Light Up Liberty is a 4th of July, alcohol-free, community celebration that exists to build the community and provide an evening of family-friendly fun for all ages. Come out and enjoy local food. The night will end with a Spectacular Fireworks Show by Yokum Fireworks. For more information visit the event Facebook page.

RED, WHITE AND BOOM: 8 p.m. Sunday. Riverbend Music Center, 6295 Kellogg Avenue, Anderson Township. $15 adults; $5 active military and veterans. Come together and celebrate America's birthday from sea to shining sea. Join the Cincinnati Pops for a showcase of American favorites inspired by the beauty of this land and its peoples. This is America the Beautiful for all—with music to lift your spirit and set your heart aglow. Stick around for the post-concert fireworks. www.cincinnatisymphony.org

Fourth of July Celebration: 3-11 p.m. Sunday. Stricker's Grove, 11490 Hamilton Cleves Road, Fairfield. Stricker's Grove's Fourth of July event is understandably the amusement park's most popular of its open to the public days. Enjoy rides, food, friends and family and cap the day off with fireworks. Admission to the park is free. There are multiple ticketing options to ride rides as well. stayhappening.com

Edgewood High graduate Zach Apple is headed to the Tokyo Olympics this summer.

Apple, 24, finished second in the 100-meter freestyle Thursday night to punch his ticket during the U.S. Olympic Swim Trials in Omaha, Neb.

Caeleb Dressel won the event in 47.39 seconds, followed by Apple in 47.92. Apple’s finish also clinched a spot on the 400 free relay team in Tokyo. He was a member of the U.S. gold-medal 400 free relay team at the 2019 World Championships. Apple won three other medals at the 2019 World Championships.

Also in 2019, he captured five gold medals at the World University Games, winning the 100- and 200-meter free events and helping the 400 and 800 free and 400 medley relay teams also win championships.

Apple swam collegiately for three seasons at Auburn before he transferred to Indiana.

As a senior at IU, Apple helped the Hoosiers win a NCAA title in the 400-medley relay and he won Big Ten championships in 200 and 400 free, 200 and 800 free relays and 400 medley relay.

The Trenton native is a 2015 graduate of Edgewood. He won a state championship in the 50 free for the Cougars as a senior.

EDGEWOOD, Ky. — Kenton County School District officials planned to cut down a ginkgo tree in front of R.C. Hinsdale Elementary School in Edgewood, but then a group formed online to save it.

Kenton County School District spokesperson Jess Dykes released this statement Saturday:

On behalf of the Kenton County School District, we recognize the importance of the beloved Ginkgo tree to the school and the larger community. The district is reviewing all options to ensure we can protect the tree through construction. District staff have taken necessary steps to ensure that the tree is protected and will not be removed as part of school construction. Our goal is to provide world-class facilities for our kids and we will continue to work to find alternative solutions at Hinsdale going forward.

"The outpouring of emotion for that tree has been overwhelming," said Star Smith.

Her child went to school at R.C. Hinsdale Elementary School, and she works nearby.

"The whole school was built around that tree and it's just so neat. So when you're in the school, each pod is named after a tree. So, there's a synergy going on there," said Edgewood City Council member Ben Barlage.

Barlage said he traced the tree as far back as the 1800s, when Civil War veteran George Phillips used the property as a holiday spot.

A 1918 Kentucky Post clipping mentions an American flag ceremony next to it when a well-known attorney named John O'Neal owned the land.

It has become tradition for graduating classes to take a picture in front of the tree.

"There are so many graduates of R.C. Hinsdale and Northern Kentuckians who have a special place in their heart for the tree," said Barlage. "Now, as an architect, I also know that sometimes, sometimes architecture and space takes precedence, and there's a reason to cut down a tree."

"It just has a lot of history that I don't think Edgewood should lose," said Smith. "We already have a lot of construction going on.

FRANKFORT, Ky. — Gov. Andy Beshear eliminated most of the commonwealth’s remaining COVID-19 health orders Friday with a few strokes of his pen and officially ended the news conferences he’d conducted multiple times a week — sometimes daily — since March 2020.

“After more than 15 months of struggle and sacrifice, we can say this: While COVID remains a threat, we are no longer in crisis,” Beshear said in his final COVID-19 conference.

About 47% of all Kentuckians had received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine by the time he spoke on Friday afternoon, according to Kentucky Public Health. Seniors, the group most urgently threatened by the novel coronavirus and prioritized earliest for vaccination, are vaccinated at a higher rate than any other group: 82% of Kentuckians over 65 have gotten a shot.

Dr. Lynne Saddler, who helps run the Northern Kentucky Health Department, said the governor’s words were a relief. She’s heartened by her department’s most recent data sets, which show that cases, hospitalizations and deaths from COVID-19 have all plummeted since January.

“We want to make sure that it stays low and goes even lower,” she said. “We’re encouraging people to get vaccinated, because when you look at the data, the graphs and the science, you can see very clearly the game-changer has been the vaccine."

Beshear is the last governor in the Tri-State to rescind his state’s health orders, which have included mask mandates, curfews for some businesses and limits on gatherings where COVID-19 was likely to spread.

His Ohio counterpart, Gov. Mike DeWine, did the same on June 2.

Gov. Eric Holcomb of Indiana acted sooner than either of them — his state rolled back its health orders in March and April.

"We're reaping the rewards of doing it right and getting back to normal, but let us never lose sight of what it cost to be here,” Beshear said Friday.

Kentucky Public Health estimates that 7,147 Kentuckians lost their lives to the virus over the course of the pandemic.

Let’s be specific. What can you do in the Tri-State this summer that you couldn’t before?

None of the three states has enforced capacity limits or social distancing requirements for events and businesses.

There are no curfews for businesses or private citizens in any of the three states.

Mask mandates apply only in limited situations.

Such as?

Following guidelines established by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, people should still wear masks on public transportation and in health care settings such as nursing homes.

So it’s completely my choice whether I do the rest of these things?

In most settings, yes, but private businesses can still legally require customers to wear masks and practice social distancing.

Many of the nation’s largest retail companies, including Target and Kroger, have opted not to require masks in their stores.

Ky. Gov. Andy Beshear lifts COVID restrictions

EDGEWOOD, Ky. — Four former health care workers were sentenced to a year in prison after they pleaded guilty to restraining a senior in their care for 15 hours by placing heavy bags on them, Attorney General Daniel Cameron announced Thursday.

The case involved two certified nursing assistants, 28-year-old Ellyssa Klein and 31-year-old Sandra Nobbe, and two registered nurses, 74-year-old Gary Ray and 33-year-old Ashley Flower. All of them worked in the Behavioral Health Unit at St. Elizabeth Edgewood.

The four restrained an elderly patient by "arranging furniture around the patient's medical recliner chair" and placing two therapeutic water bags, weighing more than 35 pounds each, on top of the patient, Cameron said. The patient was restrained this way for 15 hours on July 1 and July 2, 2015.

On April 1, 2021, Klein, Nobbe and Ray pleaded guilty to reckless abuse or neglect of an adult, a Class A misdemeanor. The three were sentenced to one year in prison, conditionally discharged for two years. As a condition of their plea, the three had to forfeit their professional licenses and resolve an administrative case with the Cabinet for Health and Family Services stemming from the abuse.

They will also be placed on the Caregiver Misconduct Registry for the next seven years.

On May 20, Flower also pleaded guilty to reckless abuse or neglect of an adult and was sentenced to a year in prison, conditionally discharged for two years. Flower also had to forfeit her professional license.

“The most vulnerable members of our Kentucky family deserve protection, and we will not tolerate abuse or neglect by those charged with their care,” Cameron said in the announcement. “I appreciate the work of our Medicaid Fraud and Abuse Control Unit to hold accountable those responsible for these terrible actions, and I urge anyone with information regarding suspected abuse to contact our office at 1-877-ABUSE TIP.”

The Office of Medicaid Fraud and Abuse Control prosecuted the case.

If you or someone you know is a victim of abuse, neglect or exploitation in a Kentucky Medicaid facility, contact the Attorney General’s elder abuse tip line at 1-877-228-7384.